


The Bullet

by KauHuf



Category: Enter the Gungeon (Video Game)
Genre: Dodgeroll, ETG, Enter the Gungeon - Freeform, It's kinda sad, Sad?, Video Game, it made me sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2020-02-09 21:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18646447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KauHuf/pseuds/KauHuf
Summary: How #999 went from a number,  to The Bullet Traitor of the Lead Kingdom and Blasphemer of all that is Gun.Let's call this a re-imagining of The Bullets lore.





	1. #999

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I know the lore for ETG has The Bullet based off Link from Zelda; I love him, he’s great, love me a good bullet boy, love me some Link, all around great character.  
> But-and hear me out on this-what if-please don’t leave-  
> what if The Bullet was one of the first of his kind?  
> Eh? Eh?...I can see I’ve lost you.
> 
> there is virtually no fic for this fandom, so i will write it myself

It had been engraved into his side the second after he had gained consciousness. All at once, he was aware;of life,sound, and then searing pain. 

Seconds later a gun had been shoved into his hands, a weapon that he somehow already knew how to use.

And then he was in a room with other bullets that looked identical to him, and they were all shooting at something else while it dodged, ducked and weaved between them.

He still hadn’t caught up to what was happening.

He didn’t shoot. Instead, he stared down at the weapon in his hand, examined it from behind the relative safety of a wall. It was a Magnum, and the phrase 5 shots or 6? briefly pierced his mind like a stray bullet. 

It was a gun, and he was expected to shoot the thing attacking them. Or…

He had peered quickly behind the wall only to pull back as a shot whizzed by.

...had they attacked it first?

He didn’t get an answer, that first time. From behind his hiding place he heard a final cry of pain and the thud of a body hitting the floor.

The first Gungeoneer had fallen.


	2. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First 1000 start to die off and Smiley has a proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am beginning to see why this is strange, but i am not gonna stop.

“#999, huh? You’re a rarity.”

Upon hearing his title, #999 looked up. He was poking at a simple meal of meat and bread in front of him and was surprised not to see one of the newer Kin, but Smiley, the eternally grinning younger of the Trigger Twins peeking curiously at his number. #999 had heard of them but had never formally met either in the metal, let alone in the mess hall.

“You know, I never got to train any of the first 1000, even though you were all made to be Bullet Kin. I guess I couldn't have though, seeing as how you’re all older than I am!” Smiley chuckled, sitting beside him.

#999 nodded.

“There...really aren’t that many of you left, huh?” Smiley said.

Again, he nodded. It was true, of the 1000 Original as they were called, only he and a handful of others remained.

Smileys number was snubbed out, as was Shades. It was rumored they were the illegitimate children of the former King, and that in an attempt to hide their origins he had scratched their identification out himself. But that was just whispers in the corridors of the Keep.

“Truth be told, I always thought that was wrong.” Smiley continued slowly. “You guys were just shoved into battle with no real help, y’know? I guess the higher-ups realized their fu...mistake, cause right after you guys started dropping like flies Training became mandatory. No offense meant!” Smiley hurriedly added.

He was silent. Everything Smiley had said was true. It had been unfair. They had no help, no understanding of what was happening, no will of their own. The first 1000 were just tools to be used; no emotions or personality to them outside of kill the gungeoneer.

“You’re different, though. You don’t talk, but you have waaaaay more to say than the others do!” Smiley continued happily. “Plus, between you and I;” The much larger Bullet leaned forward and #999 did the same. 

“You’re a waaaaay better shot, too. I’ve seen you up against the ‘Neer on the lower levels-that’s pretty impressive work!” The playful shove Smiley gave him nearly knocked the smaller Kin off the bench, but he was just as easily steadied again. 

“And you’re relatively unscathed! A few dents a few scrapes, but who doesn't have a few down here, right?”

He looked up at the younger bullet. Smiley may have been much, much larger but #999 was still many years his senior.

“I’m...gonna take that look to mean you want me to get to the point?” Smiley asked.

He nodded and Smiley laughed pulling out his own weapon, a fast shooting revolver that many a Kin envied. 

“Call it being sentimental, call it a sense of guilt,call it what you want! I want to give at least one of you Originals the training you never got to get!”

Smiley somehow smiled wider. “Wanna be part of my newest trainees?”

It was a bold and strange offer. He couldn’t deny that despite his age, he knew little of the Gungeon. The “runs” the Gungeoneer had, the ones he got put on were his luck and many others misfortune. #999 had survived their attacks out of sheer dumb luck and a few well aimed shots.

But maybe…

#999 looked down at his half eaten plate. The though he had had since day 1 never left, it just sat in his mind like a stone.

He nodded again, looking up at Smiley and pulling out his own simple Magnum.

“Great! Training starts early tomorrow-don’t be late!” Smiley clicked their guns together and it was a deal.


	3. Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is a Mystery, isn't it?

#999 Exclaimed in anger as the Gungeoneers form poofed away into nothingness before he could reach it.

“I get what you’re trying to do 9, but it clearly ain’t workin.”

Shades was leaning on one of the crumbled walls in the Faux Garden. The Gungeoneer had just come through and before he could get a clear look at the body, it had vanished again. 

He turned to look at Shades, making a questioning gesture.

“Trying to...look at ‘em. You’re not gonna gain anything from it.”

The older of the Trigger Twins, #999 would be lying if he said he hadn’t been a little scared of Shades when they first met. He occasionally helped out on Training new recruits, but more often just sat and watched the progress if he wasn’t busy. He was actually pretty nice, or rather as nice as one could be in the Gungeon. 

Now, #999 found himself dragging the older twin along on his “explorations” as Smiley had come to call them, enlisting the larger Kins help in understanding the Gungeon better.

Contrary to popular belief, #999 could talk-he chose not too. He was unsure in his words at the best of time and downright scared to speak the the other half. The Original hadn’t been made to talk, after all, and they all spoke in the same monotone stutter that the newer Kin found creepy.  
Clearing his throat, #999 spoke shakily for the first time in weeks, voice rough and slow from disuse.

“If... you hate coming... so much...don’t.”

Shades snorted, pushing himself off the wall to stand beside #999. 

“I didn't say that, keep your case on. Who else is gonna watch your back when you’ve got your nose down?” 

#999 was one of the last 1000, his brethren fading, dying, or crumbling as time wore on. But the opposite was happening to him. The more he tried to learn about the Gungeon, the more alive he felt, the more he spoke to Shades, Smiley and the other “Final Bosses” about his discoveries, the happier he was.

But there was still one mystery he hadn’t solved.

“I just don't get why you’re so obsessed with this. No one's ever been able to get close enough to the Gungeoneer to get a good look at ‘em, let alone to try and talk to ‘em.”

“I...might be different. They must...come down here for...for a reason.” #999 said.

“Yea. To kill us.”

“Smiley thinks...I can do it.”

“Smiley think’s we’ll see the real sun one day.” Shades pointed out.

“I think we’ll see the...real sun one day.”

“Then you both really are too damn optimistic.”

#999 laughed and gestured to the room.

“This is sloppy, for the ‘neer.”

“So?”

“So...they were rushing...they weren't paying attention…#8976 got a hit on them...and they went down…”

Shades peered over his sunglasses, clearly unimpressed.

“And you’re telling me this because…?”

#999 pointed to the next room over. 

“There’s a chest in the….next room.”

Shades straighten, his mouth forming a hard line as he put the pieces together. “Oh fuck.”

“They knew.” #999 finished, nodding.

“How?” Shades said through clenched teeth, gun in hand.

#999 gently patted the larger bullets side (as he couldn't reach his arm). “They’re long gone...My guess is someone gave them... a map.”

“I’ll kill that traitor.” Shades said bluntly.

“I didn't say...one of us gave them a map.”

Shades put his gun down but didn’t lose his stiff posture.

“Then how did they get it?”

“Maybe...I’m not the only one exploring.”

Shades glanced to the next room over where through a small bullet hole in the door one could just make out a flash of red and gold. He nudged #999 towards the exit, and the smaller bullet was about to protest when he realized that Shades had gone stiff.

“Let’s go, 9.


	4. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time moves on and the Gungeoneer grows stronger, but the Gungeon stays the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im having a lot of fun writing these, for what its worth

“They change, y’know.”

9 looked up from the map he’d been re-drawing for the thousandth time. His name had been changed, as he was now the last Original-no need for a full title anymore. Smiley was leaned against the wall, head turned towards the very distant but steadily approaching sound of the Gungeoneer.

“What does?” 9’s voice had changed to as the years had passed, becoming more even as he spoke more often.

“The bodies.The ‘Neer. They’re never the same person.” 

Smiley had changed as the years of battle had gone on,and on, and on. The Gungeon never stayed the same but it always felt like they were in the same spot,safe where the Gungeoneer couldn’t find them.  
He was tired, and though his smile still lit up the halls and Bullets young and old still adored him, you’d have to be blind not to see how worn down he had gotten.

“That’s impossible.” 9 Mumbled returning to his map. “You can’t be more than one thing.”

“You once saw a bullet, that shoots guns, that also shoots bullets.” Smiley chuckled.

“...touché. How did you figure out they were different?” He asked, moving to sit next to Smiley.

“Somethin you start to notice after they try and blow your brains out a few thousand times…”

“They...have gotten better, yes.”

“They’ve gotten closer. That’s not a win for us, 9”

9 lightly tapped his pencil against the parchment.

“Home is a win for us. Home is safe. It’s the one place they can’t find.”

Smiley let out a harsh bark of a laugh more reminiscent of his brother’s cynicism.

“Nowhere is safe.”


	5. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When there is nowhere left, where do you go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im backkkkk~

 

He was alone.

 

He had never been alone before. It was impossible to be alone when you were constantly rubbing elbows with a few dozen of your brothers at nearly any given moment.

 

But now, he was alone. And it was quiet, and he hated it.

 

The Gungeoneer was coming. They had found a new path, one that led directly to their home and would probably lead them to the oubliette.

 

“Nowhere is safe.” He mumbled Smiley's words to himself.

 

He had no clue where any of the others were. He remembered the alarm bells sounding, calling the first wave of defense against the Gungeoneer, but then Smiley stopping the Kin from assembling. He had told them to hide.

 

That had never happened before.

 

Shades had repeated the order in a harsh bark when no one moved, and then forcibly shoved 9 out of the Mess Hall when he protested.

 

_ “I’m older than you-” _

 

_ “-and we outrank you. Get them to the Oubliette!” Shades had snapped. _

 

The Kin trusted 9 as much as they trusted their King, and so he’d led them as deep as he could into the Oubliette-as deep as this version of the Gungeon allowed- and warned them to stay low and hidden while he went to check on the others.

 

He’d found a trail of feathers and blood leading out of one of the gardens.

He’d found two pistols mere feet from each other, a pair of sunglasses between them.

And he’d found a crown, bent and cracked, laying on its side in a pool of oil. The Throne was destroyed and the smell of burnt metal made the bullet gag as he sank to the ground and sobbed.

 

He wept over the remnants of his King, of his friends for who knew or cared how long. But the Kin had to know what happened. He tried to pick the twin guns up, but the moment he approached they poofed away.

 

They poofed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~mostly cause I've guilt-tripped myself for not finishing anything, lol

**Author's Note:**

> ...ta-dah~  
> like it? hate it? tell me why; and maybe share your Gungeon experiences.


End file.
